Spartanburg gets a look at Meeting Street Academy, set to open July 16

Tuesday

Jun 5, 2012 at 12:01 AMJun 6, 2012 at 1:10 AM

Supporters and community members celebrated the impending opening of Meeting Street Academy’s new Spartanburg location Tuesday afternoon.

By LEE G. HEALYlee.healy@shj.com

Supporters and community members celebrated the impending opening of Meeting Street Academy’s new Spartanburg location Tuesday afternoon.Meeting Street Academy-Spartanburg will open to 37 preschoolers, ages 3 and 4, on July 16 and expand by one grade level each year through the fifth grade. The private school primarily will accept students zoned for low-performing public schools whose families lack the financial means to pay for private education.At capacity, MSA-S will serve about 175 students.Director Trish Scarry said parents of future MSA-S students are happy to have an educational alternative for their children.“The biggest issue is the kids are not being challenged,” Scarry said. “As we have the kids here and realize what the needs are, we’ll tailor our curriculum to the needs in Spartanburg.”On Tuesday, guests toured the renovated facility in a portion of the Broadwalk Shoppes property at 201 E. Broad St.Classrooms feature bright color schemes and are all equipped with modern technology, including interactive white boards. Art and music rooms were given a colorful but clean design. The library is a focal point for the school with tall windows offering a view of downtown activity on Broad and Dean streets. A word mural encourages students to “imagine,” “learn,” “discover,” “create” and “explore.”The school also includes a computer lab (to be furnished next year, once older students are in the building), a multipurpose room, a conference room and administrative space.Scarry said the interior of the school was designed to have a clean, collegiate feel but still appeal to children’s senses of exploration and wonder.Outside, a playground area is designed to build students’ motor skills. Scarry said students will also take advantage of walking access to downtown businesses and venues.

Curriculum, she said, is based on state and common core standards. Teachers, one certified and one assistant in each class, as well as special area instructors, will focus on leadership development, hands-on learning and talk to students about college, beginning in preschool.“It all goes back to our mission to serve families who deserve a great education (for their children) but couldn’t afford one,” Scarry said.Families will pay about $600 per year to send a child to MSA-S, but the majority of the school’s funding will come from private donations. Organizers previously said the school has the financial backing to operate for three years, but future donations will be essential to pay operational and tuition costs in the long term. The school will need about $12,500 per child per year to operate.Susan Miller, MSA chief operating officer, thanked guests in attendance Tuesday for welcoming the school into the community.“This is a community school in that we want to be an integral part of what’s going on here in Spartanburg,” Miller said.The Spartanburg school is being modeled after Meeting Street Academy in Charleston, which opened four years ago. Leaders emphasized their belief in starting education at an early age, of having a holistic approach to education and of establishing a family partnership. Family members of MSA students must sign a contract agreeing to be an active partner in their child’s education. In addition to getting students to school every day, caregivers agree to help with homework and help keep them engaged in their education.Parent and future MSA-S teacher Deidre Robinson said the approach to elementary learning appealed to her as she sought out options for her 3-year-old son, Khalil, who will begin his education at the new Spartanburg school.“The importance of going to college and the emphasis on lifelong learning is very important to me as a parent as well as a teacher,” said Robinson, who will be teaching 3-year-olds at the school. “It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up — to start school and know that his education was a top priority.”

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.